Hat shield for permanent waving of hair on the human head



L. F. WILLAT May 31, 1955 HAT SHIELD FOR PERMANENT WAVING OF HAIR ON THEHUMAN HEAD Filed April 6 1.50 f. W/LLAT ATTORNEY iartii. w

quarks HAT SHIELD FOR PERMANENT WAVING OF HAIR ON THE HUMAN HEAD Leon F.Willat, Mill Valley, Calif.

Application April 6, 1953, Serial No. 346,991

9 Claims. (Cl. 132) This invention relates to hat shields for permanentwaving of hair on the human head and particularly relates to hat shieldsfor confining solutions in such permanent waving to the scalp portion ofthe head and preventing its flow to the face or neck of the patron,while also serving as a collector of the liquid for a repetition of theapplication of the solution to the hair in the permanent wavingoperation.

Certain types of permanent waving of hair on the human head provide forflowing of so-called permanent wave solutions through rolls of hairspirally wound upon hollow curler rods which are perforated so that theliquid may be forced through a pressure tube into the curler rod andthrough the perforations in the curler rod and the hair wound thereon.Other types of such permanent waving provide for winding locks of hairupon curler rods and applying the liquid to the lock before or afterwinding by external or surface application in any suitable manner. Oneof the dilficulties to be overcome is to prevent the hair waving liquidsfrom flowing into the face or upon the person of the patron and at thesame time assure that the hair is completely wetted and maintainedthoroughly wet or saturated with the solution while the hair is woundupon the curler rod. Heretofore in those permanent waving operationswhere solutions were flowed upon or through the wound hair, in order tothoroughly insure the complete and adequate wetting of the hair, it hasbeen deemed advisable and necessary to place the patron in a recliningposition so that the liquid employed could be readily drained from thehair.

in some of these types of operations the hands of the operator are incontact with the waving solutions for extended periods of time, which isdetrimental to the skin, a factor which it is very desirable toeliminate.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a hat shieldso that the necessary lotions may be flowed upon or through locks ofwound hair without contacting the hands of the operator; to provide acollecting shield so that these hair waving operations may be performedwhile the patron is seated in an upright position; to eliminateexpensive apparatus, and to provide a means for collecting liquid whichhas been flowed through the hair so that it may be again flowed upon thehair by surface application or through the hair by a pressure system.

The hat shield of the present invention is especially adapted for use ineither of said types of permanent waving, or in combination of the modesof application of both of them.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a hat shield to fit snuglyand closely around the head of the subject adjacent the hair line of thescalp by means of an elastic liquid-impervious diaphragm mounted withinthe diameter of a relatively narrow circular rim of metal, plastic orthe like, the elastic diaphragm having an elongated ellipse openingthrough which the head and hair may pass, a reinforcing elastic edgepreferably being around the Patented May 31, 1955 opening. Extendingupwardly from the circumferential edge of the rim is a protective wallpreferably flexible which is connected around the inner circumference ofthe rim, the wall having diametrally opposite front and rear portions,the wall portion which in operation would go at the rear of the headbeing relatively high to provide a sump for solution and the other orfront wall being relatively low. The high and low portions of the wallhave their respective free edges inclined towards the rim and merging atopposite ends of a perpendicular transverse diameter which is preferablyoffset forwardly from the geometrical center diameter of the rim. Astrap member is attached to the rim substantially at the confluence ofthe relatively adjacent high Wall and the low wall is for passing overthe head of the subject or patron to support the hat shield in operativeposition.

One form in which the invention may be exemplified is described hereinand illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the invention on front to reardiameter, in mounted position upon the head of the patron or subject,the latter being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a bottom or underside view of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the invention mounted in operativeposition on a head and illustrating one form of use of the inventionwith liquid forcing apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an operative position. v

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal view of a portion of elasticdiaphragm and binding band providing a pad-holding slot, which is shownin operation in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of portions offront and rear walls of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in the several views, the hat shield is generallyindicated 10 and comprises a stiff relatively narrow circularreinforcing rim 11 preferably of metal or hard plastic, U-shaped intransverse section through its body providing an inwardly open annulargroove 12 in which is inserted the peripheral edges of a thin elasticdiaphragm 13 and also one edge of a wall portion, to be described, whichare tightly engaged in the groove by pressing the walls of the groovethereupon, the rim being sufiiciently stiff to hold the diaphragm spreadradially outwardly from the wearers head when the device is being wornin operation on a head.

The relatively thin elastic diaphragm 13 normally lies substantially inthe plane of the rim 11, and extends completely across the area ofopening of the rim, but having at its central portion an elongatedelliptical opening 14, the major axis of which is on a diameter of therim which may be arbitrarily termed the diameter from the front to therear of the rim, the respective opposite ends of the elliptical openingbeing more nearly spaced towards the front of the rim than towards therear of said rim diameter. At what may be termed the exterior or bottomface of the diaphragm 13, there is an additional layer of elasticmaterial around the edge of the opening 14 exemplified herein by aplanar reinforcing strip 15 which is illustrated herein as a flat bandadheringly attached to the diaphragm for the greater portion of theperimeter of the opening and which may have certain relatively spacedfree lip portions 16, preferably four in number, provided withconvenient finger grip tab 17 for purposes to be explained.

The wall portion generally indicated 20 is preferably of flexible waterimpervious material so that it may be folded flat for convenience ofpackaging or storage, a

flexible substantially non-elastic plastic sheeting being a satisfactorymaterial. The wall member has a forward wall portion 21 and a rearwardwall portion 22 each wall having a portion of maximum height at thefrontto-rear diameter of the rim, the rearward portion being ofconsiderably greater height than the forward portion and therebyproviding a sump 23 at the rear into which the liquid solution may flowwhen the hat shield is mounted at an inclined operative position uponthe head of a patron, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. l the wall portions 21 and 22 are separate and the upper or freeedge portions thereof incline from the high point towards the rim 11,said edges terminating at the rim in closely spaced relation somewhatforwardly of the maximum transverse diameter of the rim, that is, therear wall 22. is connected to the rim at a greater part of thecircumference of the rim than is the forward wall. A flexible strapsufiicientiy narrow not to interfere with the wound hair andmanipulation thereof is connected to the rim at the space on the rimbetween the adjacently spaced ends of the two wall portions, the striplengths of which 24, 25 each have one end connected within the groove ofrim 11 so that the strap may pass over the head of the patron forsupporting the hat upon the head by means of hook 26 and eyelets 27.

in operation the hat shield, due to elasticity of the opening 14 in theelastic diaphragm 13, may be slipped over the head of the patron byinserting the entire head through the opening 14 and temporarilyreposing the hat upon the neck or shoulders of the patron and preferablyfolding the high rear wall 22 inwardly and downwardly or overlappinglyupon itself as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon because of its attachmentarcuately to the rim it locks against the tendency to rebound inherentlyto an upstanding position, and thereby the locks of hair, andparticularly the locks adjacent to the hair line, are

accessible for manual manipulation to be wound upon a curler rods 23. ifthe hair waving operation is to include application of hair wavingliquids by means of forcing such liquids through the curler rods, aseries of tubes 29 and a manifold 39 are connected to the tubularperforated curler rods while the hat shield reposes on the neck theelastic edge of strip 15 causing the edges of the opening to engage theface and neck sufficiently tightly to prevent passage of the liquidthereby. The strap members 24, 25 are then connected over the head andthe wound hair upon the curler rods to maintain the hat upon the head inoperating position as shown in Fig. 1.

Since some persons have a slight hollow in head contour at the templeand also adjacent to the back of the ears, the free lip portions 16 ofthe strip 15 may be conveniently raised by means of the tabs 17 and afiller pad 31 may be inserted between the lips 16 and the body of thediaphragm to fill such hollows and press the edge of the diaphragm inclose impervious contact with the head.

Regardless of whether the application of the hair waving liquid is to beby means of the tubes 29 and manifold 33, as in Fig. 4, or by means ofsurface application as indicated in Fig. l, or by both methods combined,the walls 22. and 22 and diaphragm 13 prevent liquid flowed into or uponthe wound hair from flowing upon the face or neck of the patron. Theliquid after wetting the wound hair is guided by the walls 21 and 22.into the sump 23 where it may be recovered and again flowed upon orthrough the wound hair by suitable bulb B through the manifold orsprayed by surface application upon the rolled hair for the desirednumber or periods of time.

in the modification illustrated in Fig. 7, the free edges of the wallsZia and 22a are connected at the gap across the straps by means of aninserted gusset 31a which may be impervious.y connected to adjacent endsof the walls Zia and 22:: by a heat plastic weld 32, and if desired, thestrap member may be an integral part of such gusset. Obviousiy one edgeof the gusset may be held within the groove of the rim in a mannersimilar to the holding of the edge of the walls within the groove of therim.

After application of all the desired liquids to the hair, it is esirablcto remove remaining liquid from the sump by means of the bulb and thenremove the hat shield from its operating position to the originalposition on the shoulders of the patron until the hair has been unwoundfrom the curling rod, since it is easier to remove the hat shield fromthe head after the hair has been unwound from the curler rods. Obviouslythe removal of the hat shield from the head involves only lifting therim and sliding the elastic opening over the head and hair of thepatron.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed to be new andpatentable is:

l. in apparatus for permanent waving of hair on the human head, a hatshield comprising a relatively stiff rim for supporting peripherally arelatively opposed diaphragm and wall, an elastic diaphragm secured tothe rim and extending diametrally across one face thereof, saiddiaphragm having an opening therein spaced from said rim whereby thediaphragm may be slid over the head, a liquid impervious wall having oneedge thereof secured to the face of the rim opposite the diaphragm andhaving a tee portion adapted to stand up from the rim, said wall beingopen at the top whereby the hair on the scalp is accessible formanipulation, the wall including a flexible section at the rear portionof the rim having a free portion which may be folded toward the rimoverlappingly upon itself, and a relatively narrow strip for passingover the top of the head of the wearer for supporting the hat adjacentthe hair line of the head while the top opening of the upstanding wallis maintained open for manipulation of the hair.

2. A hat shield for permanent waving of hair on the human head, havingthe elements of claim 1 and in which the rim is arcuate and has aninwardly open groove into which the peripheral edge of the diaphragm andone edge of the said wall are secured, the rim being sufliciently stiffto hold the periphery of the diaphragm radially outwardly from thewearers scalp.

3. A hat shield device of the character described having the elements ofclaim 1 and in which the rearward wall portion is of greater maximumheight than the forwardly portion of the wall.

4. A hat shield for permanent waving of hair on the human head havingthe elements of claim 1 and in Which there is an additional elasticreinforcing layer to the diaphragm at the edge of the opening, saidadditional layer having relatively spaced free lip portions forinserting a pad member thereunder.

5. A hat shield device of the character described having the elements ofclaim 1 and in which there is an elastic band secured to the diaphragmat the edge of the opening and provided with free lip portionsrelatively spaced, said free lip portions having finger-grip tabs forraising the free portions from the diaphragm whereby pads may beinserted between said free lip portions and the diaphragm.

6. in apparatus for permanent waving of hair on the human head, a hatshield having an arcuate rim providing an inwardly open groove, anelastic diaphragm having its peripheral edge secured in the groove ofthe rim and normally held by the rim in a plane extending diametrallyacross one face of the rim, said diaphragm having an opening thereinwhereby the diaphragm may be slid over the head, an elastic reinforcingmember overlying the diaphragm at the edge of the opening, said elasticreinforcing member having relatively spaced portions free of the elasticdiaphragm, said free portions having finger grip tabs adapted forlifting the free portion for receiving pads between the reinforcingmember and the elastic diaphragm, a liquid impervious wall having oneedge thereof secured to the face of the rim opposite the diaphragm, saidwall having a free portion upstanding from the rim providing an open topthrough which hair on the scalp is accessible, said wall including afront wall portion and a rear wall portion, the rear wall portion beingsecured at the rim for a greater portion of the rim periphery than thefront wall, and a strap for passing over the top of the scalp to supportthe hat adjacent the hair line of the head while the top of the wallsremain open for manipulation of the hair through the said open top.

7. A hat shield device of the character described having the elements ofclaim 6 and in which the elastic reinforcing member is a band aroundsaid diaphragm opening and the relatively spaced free portions havingthe finger grip tabs are a portion of said band.

8. A hat shield for permanent Waving of hair on the human head havingthe elements of claim 6 and in which at least the rear portion of thesaid liquid impervious wall is flexible, the rear wall portion being ofgreater maximum height than the front wall portion whereby its free edgeportion may be overlyingly folded upon itself and toward the rim andmaintain such folded position due to the connection of its other edgearcuately to the rim.

9. A hat shield for permanent waving of hair on the human head havingthe elements of claim 6 and in which the free edges of the front andrear wall portions are inclined toward the rim at the terminal ends ofsaid front and rear wall portions, said walls terminating at said endsin adjacently spaced relation, and a gusset imperviously connected atits ends to said walls between relatively adjacent ends of the walls andhaving an edge connected in the groove of the rim.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,497,858 Lewis June 17, 1924 1,612,602 Bowman Dec. 28, 1926 1,806,155Farrelly May 19, 1931 2,445,487 Lester et al. July 20, 1948 2,600,557Marriott June 17, 1952

